A Court of Claws and Dreams
by Mrs Pettyfer
Summary: As Tamlin struggles to rebuild his ruined court, a Child of the Blessed tries to find her place in a world so different than everything she had believed in. When the two collide, old debts force them to become allies as the High Lord's prepare for the looming threat of the mortal queens.
1. Prologue

**Category:** A Court of Thorns and Roses

 **Author:** Mrs Pettyfer

 **Title:** A Court of Claws and Dreams

 **Pairing(s):** Briar/Tamlin (Of course there will be other pairings as well. This is just the focus.)

 **Genre:** Fantasy/Romance/Adventure

 **Rating:** M

 **A/N:** I have been a huge fan of ACOTAR since it's release. Though surprisingly, I have only written one fanfic for it-a short one-shot, no less. I didn't really plan on writing too much for this series, but I couldn't get this idea out of my head. The biggest surprise of all: I'm not writing about my favorites Rhys and Feyre, though they will be in it. I wanted to challenge myself and write a redemption story for a character everyone hates, a character I myself was never a huge fan of. I've always been impressed when authors can do that: make you see a character you hated in a different light. So here I am. To my ATLA readers, no worries. This will not postpone TPQ. It's just that this story has been pouring out of me and I'm the type of writer that needs to feed my muse when it calls. :) I have no idea if anyone will read this story, as there aren't many ACOTAR fics on here and well, Tamlin is not so popular haha. But I hope you give it a shot. Thank you!

Oh, and there are some ties to Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

 **Disclaimer:** The ACOTAR world and characters belongs to Sarah J Maas.

* * *

 _Prologue_

Briar Snow had believed in the Word of the Blessed, believed in the good and purity of the Fae, that Prythian was a land of peace and plenty.

But now…she did not know what she believed anymore.

It had been months since the battle in Prythian, yet Briar could still hear the screams. Could still her _own_ screams as she and her sisters had been chained to that rack for the entertainment of the Hybern soldiers. Only some deep rooted, primal instinct kept her alive. Kept her heart beating. The scars still lingered on her pale body—down her back, across her stomach, around her arms. Her wounds had been so severe that even the Fae healer could not completely heal them.

She had not known such cruelty, such violence. The Word of the Blessed did not reveal the this nature of the Fae. The wickedness and power and brutality.

No, perhaps that was not entirely true. The female—the High Lady. Her winged friend and the young girl that clung to him. The roaring beast. The human soldier. They had all played a role in saving her life. A debt she could never possibly repay. And the Lady of the Winter Court…Viviane, she had called herself, had given her a tent. Clothed and bathed her, and gave her a tonic that put her to sleep.

Briar did not see the battle. She had woken with a jolt, in a foreign bed, surrounded by a healer and two guards. The healer—Katya—had calmly explained that they were in the Winter Court, safe, that her wounds had been tended to, and the battle was over. They had won.

Had they? Briar thought of the night she had been ripped from her bed, when her caravan had been burned to the ground and she and her sisters taken. Of the way the soldiers leered at her, stripped away her dignity and pride. Beaten her and how they had laughed.

A victory, perhaps, but not without a cost.

When the Lady of the Winter Court had visited her here, she had asked what part of the mortal lands Briar was from—where they should take her.

She had spent years traveling the mortal towns and villages with her Sisters. She had never really had a home, not really. But it had felt like it sometimes, when they gathered around the fire at night and huddled together in the caravan. There was nothing left of that now.

Briar had told her she had no one. Nowhere to go.

She did not think they knew what to do with her. So she would stay here, for now. A distant dream, to be permitted to enter the prospering lands of Prythian and live amongst the Fae. It was all she had ever wanted.

Once. Before everything had changed.

The world was reshaping, rebuilding, and Briar was the least of the High Lord of Winter's concern. She did not wish to return to the mortal lands, not if rumor was to be believed. She could not wander into the mountains and forests in the Winter Court, else she could freeze or get lost or encounter creatures that were less than friendly to humans.

So for the time being, she was given a small cottage near the border of the Summer and Winter Courts. The cottage was stocked with books, clothes, and some light food. Three meals magically arrived on her doorstep every day, and there was a ward on the cottage to keep out unwanted visitors. Katya examined her once a week, and after a month Briar had asked for the meals to be baskets of ingredients instead. Not that the meals prepared for her were poor—in fact they were delicious—but Briar needed _something_ to keep her mind from traveling back to those torturous days she had spent chained to that rack. She had little desire to leave the cottage, not at all feeling trapped, but…she needed something. Cooking had always soothed her, the way flavors and ingredients came together—how food brought _people_ together.

Briar leaned over the stove, smelling the rich, savory stew of cooked rabbit and vegetables.

"You know, I could have made that in a blink," said Katya. Like most Fae of the Winter Court, Katya was pale as moonlight with long, gleaming silver hair. She was idly braiding it into a loose plait while watching Briar with a frown.

"Yes, but where is the satisfaction in that? You won't have put any heart or effort into it."

Katya just shook her head. "You mortals are so very strange."

Briar stirred the stew one last time before ladling it into a bowl. It smelled divine, steaming and hot. "Will you try it?" she asked, turning to Katya.

Katya wrinkled her thin nose. "I would rather not."

"Suit yourself." Briar shrugged and carried her bowl to the table. She took a spoonful and blew before taking a bite. It was so hot she cringed. "What news of the wall and the mortal lands?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," said Katya. A lie, most likely. Briar was a mere human, not trusted with Fae politics. "The High Lord is focused on the upcoming Winter Solstice. Trying to bring some normalcy and joy back to our people, I suspect."

Briar had learned of the celebrations amongst the Prythian courts from Sister Margery. She had learned a great deal from the old woman. But Sister Margery had never set foot in Prythian, and now that Briar had, she was finding so many of those stories to be fabrications.

So she asked, "What is the Winter Solstice?"

"It marks midwinter, when our magic regenerates across our lands. Festivities last for a week. All the High Lord's and their retinues are invited. A first since…" She let the word drop and suddenly looked uncomfortable. She shook her head and went on, "There is a ball, and a festival, and a parade with polar bears the size of small castles, and endless dancing and drinking."

"That sounds wonderful."

Katya turned to her, her light grey eyes now focusing and her face shifting into what Briar thought of as her "healer" face. "How are you, Briar? When I examined you earlier, I could see your improvement of strength. But…"

"I'm…still healing. I think. But the nightmares are less frequent now." Briar forced a smile. Katya did not look convinced, but Briar added, "Will you attend the festivities?"

"As much as I can. There are still so many soldiers that require attention. The war was not kind to our people."

Briar nodded and looked down at her stew. The color reminded her of the mud she had trekked through at the war camp. The memories started to return to her and she felt herself tensing and locking up.

 _Smile for me, you pretty little mortal whore. Scream for me._

"Speaking of such," said Katya, standing up, "I ought to return to the infirmary." She strode for the door and paused with her hand on the knob. "Would you like to attend the Winter Solstice, Briar? Not all of it, of course. But perhaps see the parade?"

Briar blinked. She glanced at the door and felt as if she could see through the thick oak. See the vast mountains and valleys and world that went on and on. A world she had wanted to see so dearly. But she felt a sudden pang of uncertainty, of what waited beyond the protective wards. This cottage…she was safe here. There was no screaming here.

And yet…

"Perhaps," she offered.

Katya smiled, only a tinge of sadness to her eyes, and told her she'd see her again next week.

Briar just nodded. She caught a glimpse of the snowy wood as the door closed and wondered if she could be brave enough to see for herself if polar bears could truly grow to the size of small castles.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! So we don't know too much, canon wise, about Briar. I believe she was introduced (and named) to us readers for a reason, and so I'm going to roll with it. Her characterization is based on the limited info we know. Once again, thank you for reading.


	2. A Cottage in the Woods

**A/N:** Finally Chapter 1! I almost waited to post this, since A Court of Frost and Starlight is going to touch on the Winter Solstice but since it's a month away, I figured oh well lol. So this is just my interpretation of the winter solstice events. Oh, and I'm going to try to take the chapter titles from the Sleeping Beauty and/or Snow White soundtracks. ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - A Cottage in the Woods**

There was something distinctly _off_ with Briar's creation. As she chewed the fluffy cake, she wondered if she had added enough sugar. Was it the lemons? No, they smelled fresh and were probably imported from the Summer Court. Perhaps she had not sifted the flour well enough.

 _Oh well_ , she thought. _Too late now._

She had already baked three successful loaves of barley bread, a berry tart, and two batches of ginger cookies. With the aftermath of the war, there were still many wounded soldiers and families that lost loved ones that needed feeding. There was only so much progress the High Lord could do in a day, so Briar decided to help, if only in some small way.

Lady Vivane had thanked Briar in person, even offering her a room in the palace so she could cook in the kitchens. Briar had graciously declined, much more content in the safety of her cottage.

She finished the slice of cake, not fully satisfied, and dusted off her hands. She glanced at the window—again. For the sixth time. No snow fell, though the thick pines were coated in frost. She had not been outside. Not once, since she arrived.

Tonight marked the first night of the winter solstice festivities. Briar thought of Katya's invitation. Hesitantly, she moved to the wooden door and placed a hand on the knob. Then, sucking in a deep breath, she pushed the door open.

The wind was sharp and biting, instantly causing Briar to shiver. But she grabbed her cloak and stuffed her feet into thick leather boots.

Then she stepped outside.

The first thing she noticed was the utter stillness. It was so eerily quiet that she wondered if the ward on her cottage somehow drowned out any nearby sounds. The thought was slightly terrifying. If something somehow managed to get through the wards, she would never hear them coming.

The cottage, she now saw, was in a forest, surrounded by tall pines. There was a light snow on the ground, the trees dusted in pearly white. The sun glistened above, offering little warmth. The trees were so thick that she couldn't see past them; couldn't see the mountains she knew must exist in the distance.

Briar breathed in, the air cool and crisp and refreshing. The long she stood here, she felt so much more alive, breathing in the winter air. By stepping outside the cottage that had served as her safety barrier. But as she looked back at it and the surrounding wood…she felt lonely. Isolated.

 _Alone_.

The feeling hit her so hard, so suddenly, that she almost dropped to her knees.

Though what waited beyond the wood was terrifying, it wasn't nearly as terrifying as this silence, as staying inside that cottage with no company but her shadow for the rest of her life. Loneliness and fear, she realized, was a monster that preyed on your mind, and once it's claws dug in, there was no letting go.

She would not allow that monster to win. Not anymore.

Briar went back inside and shut the door. She moved to her desk and grabbed some parchment, dipped her quill into the ink pot, and wrote:

 _Katya,_

 _I would like to attend the parade, if the offer still stands._

 _Briar_

The first time she had seen a letter appear and vanish, she had screamed. Now, she was accustomed to the Fae's strange magic. It took a few minutes, but the note finally vanished, along with a little bit of the fear that had so tightly gripped her.

Katya, true to her word, arrived in the early evening. A new dress had been delivered to Briar's cottage. It was the color of charcoal, made of thick, warm fabric that clung to her arms and flowed long at the wrists. A leather belt accentuated her small waist and the skirts widened and flowed to her ankles. There was a long cloak to match, the collar a soft gray fur. By the time Briar had pulled on her boots and gloves, she had to take a breath. There were so many _layers_ , but she was in the Winter Court. She'd no doubt be grateful for them when she stood outside to watch the parade.

Briar's golden blonde hair was a mess of curls that she left alone, only to have Katya make a clicking sound with her tongue and make a crown of a braid across the top of her head. She pulled out a few wavy pieces to dangle around her face. Katya's own hair was tied back into a single loose braid.

"Much better," she said, satisfied. "Are you ready?"

"I suppose I better be."

Katya's eyes softened. "The moment you wish to return, I will bring you back. I swear it."

"Thank you." Briar took a deep breath, prepared to leave her cottage in the woods. To be free of it. "I'm ready."

Katya led her outside and they walked a little ways from the cottage, just outside where the ward stretched.

Katya held out her hand. Briar had only experienced what Lady Viviane had called "winnowing" a few times. The first time, she had vomited. Though she now knew what to expect, the feeling of being sucked away through time and space still caused her to panic with dread and nausea.

Katya had offered to travel by carriage and horses, but advised against it due to the danger of the woods and creatures that would be tempted by her human scent.

Briar took another deep breath and took her friend's hand.

Thankfully the winnowing was brief, and no sooner had she blinked then they had landed roughly in an open balcony that overlooked a crowded street. Briar reached out to steady herself against the railing, gasping.

"Sorry," said Katya, laughing. "I'm still not the best at winnowing. Landing is so much harder than you'd think."

"It's fine," said Briar, her heart still racing.

The ringing in her ears had stopped and she was soon filled with the sounds of the crowd below—of the city around her.

She stared, taking it all in.

The buildings were white stone, stacked close together up a street that ascended toward—she had to hang her head out over the balcony to see—a sprawling, glittering castle that looked to be made of glass.

"That's the winter palace," said Katya, catching her gaze. "It's where I study and work and—well, where I live."

Briar looked back at her. "Where are we now?"

"My sister's place. She and a few friends will be here soon."

Briar nodded, trying to hide her unease. More Fae.

 _Of course there are more Fae_ , she scolded herself. _This is Prythian._

She looked back at the city. Golden balls of light danced in the air. The gathering crowd was lined up on either side of the street, awaiting the parade, talking animatedly and waving banners. Some wore elaborate tunics and heavy gowns. Some wore armor, dressed like soldiers. Yet everyone looked so… _human_ , Briar realized with a jolt. If she didn't know any better, she'd think those were humans below.

"Its glamour," Katya murmured, seeming to understand Briar's thoughts. "Lady Viviane put a strong glamour on you so you wouldn't be frightened, should you venture out of your cottage."

Briar thought of the war camp and said, "I doubt anything I see here is as frightening as the things I've already seen."

Katya was silent for a long moment. Finally she said, "I'd remove it, if I could. If you wanted."

"You can't remove glamour?"

"Not one as strong as the High Lord's wife."

"So I'm to see in ignorance? Blind?" Briar didn't know why she was suddenly so angry. Just a few days ago, she was content with this bliss. But now…she was angry at herself now.

Katya held up her gloved hands. "We can go see her tonight, if you like. I planned on attending the ball. Perhaps…" She bit her lip, considering. "Perhaps my sister can place a glamour on you to hide your scent. Just long enough for you to meet with Lady Viviane, remove the glamour, and get you back home."

Briar didn't want to ask why she needed to hide her scent. She had an idea. "You think your sister can do that?"

Katya nodded. "My skills are in healing. Hers are in deceiving."

Briar wasn't sure she liked the sound of that, but she was eager to see the world for all that it was: the good _and_ the bad. She was eager to move forward from her past. Perhaps this was the first step.

Katya's sister arrived with two males, both dressed in an identical grey uniform that looked like a soldier's suit. All three froze when they saw Briar.

One of them, the tallest male, sniffed delicately. "Human," he growled. He tilted his head toward Katya, the movement far more unnatural than the way Katya acted. It made Briar think that perhaps her friend had purposely tried to act human to make her more comfortable. "Why is there a human here, Katya?"

"She is my patient, and friend." The male did not look convinced. His dark blue eyes were narrowing, a hunger there that made Briar's heart pound. "She is under the protection of the High Lord, Idris. Think carefully of your next words."

The male's eyes widened at that. "My apologies. I did not mean to offend your guest."

Katya brightened and held out her hand. "Come Briar. Meet my friends."

The tall male—Idris—had lost his countenance and actually had a loud laugh, was quite boisterous, and seemed to enjoy cracking jokes. The second male was named Niko and he was quiet, withdrawn, with unruly silver hair and eyes so light they looked silver. Katya's sister, Irina, had a clever glint to her eyes as she assessed Briar. When Katya had told Irina her idea, Irina had beamed with excitement at the thought of deceiving so many High Fae.

When the parade started, Briar bolted toward the balcony and leaned over to watch in awe. The music somehow came from everywhere. There were dancers twirling in tulle of white, their skin painted in whorls of silver and walking musicians that played the most melodic songs. Snow and ice were crafted into enormous creatures that moved like they were real. The polar bears _were_ as large as Katya had promised, huge beasts that were dripping in jeweled harnesses and ridden by warriors in shiny armor. Then there were soft singing female Fae that Katya wouldn't let Briar listen to, saying unless she wanted to dance for hours until her feet bled, she ought to cover her ears.

After a handful of other acts and sparkle, the parade finished with the High Lord and Lady Vivane atop a float covered in ice. They sat on identical thrones of ice, dressed in silver and the light blue of a morning sky, waving to the cheering crowd.

Briar stepped back from the balcony, still feeling the awe and magic of the parade. Such beauty—there was so much beauty here.

"Now to the ball!" Irina called excitedly. She turned her gaze to Briar, and grinned, wide as a cat.

Briar tried not to balk in fear.

* * *

The glamour, it turned out, was completely painless. For some reason Briar had expected…not for it to hurt necessarily…but she expected to feel _something_. But no. She felt absolutely nothing as Irina had circled around her, moving her hands, and finally stepped back and sniffed. Satisfied, she had motioned for the males to try to scent her.

Idris sniffed—then looked surprised, which earned a playful snack on the arm from Irina for having doubted her skills.

"I like the ears," he said with a laugh.

Confused, Briar turned to Katya, who was holding back a laugh of her own. Hesitantly, Briar reached up and—felt normal, round ears. Even more confused, she walked back into the sitting room to the stand in front of the floor length mirror.

Now she gasped.

She did not look human. Her features were sharper, more pronounced. Her brown eyes were almost glassy and clear—sparkling. Her pale skin smooth like porcelain. And her ears…they were indeed pointed, like the Fae. Yet when she touched them, they felt round and normal. Human.

"The glamour is just an illusion," said Irina, moving to stand next to her. "I do not possess the ability to shapeshift you. Only a High Lord could do that."

Briar was still staring. "It's…I look…"

"Stunning," Irina supplied. "You are quite beautiful for a human, I admit. Even a Fae could see that."

Briar tried not to bristle. It was not a matter of vanity. She knew she had been blessed with beauty. A blessing, and sometimes a curse.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Irina clapped her hands. "Now we try not to get caught."

"Is there a reason we cannot…winnow straight to Lady Vivane?" Briar asked.

"Only the High Lord and a select few can winnow inside the palace," said Katya.

Well, there went that plan. At least Briar tried.

* * *

Briar saw nothing of the palace. It wasn't that she did not want to. She had been too frozen to do anything other than move forward, keeping her head down. The corridors were filled with Fae—and now that she knew they were not all what they appeared to be, she could not look. It was cowardly, perhaps. But Briar had to focus on keeping her fear at bay—fear, Katya had said, could still be scented. And some creatures were drawn to that fear.

When they finally entered a large atrium, Briar looked up.

The ballroom was huge, with pillars of white marble and balls of silver light bobbing in the air. Snow-dusted trees outlined the room, as if the ballroom had been built upon an enchanted forest. Soft music was playing, somehow heard over the chatter. Servants dressed in ivory robes were weaving through the crowd carrying trays of wine and food that smelled delicious.

"Drink nothing," Katya whispered in Briar's ear. "Don't eat anything with fruit."

She nodded, transfixed at the beauty around her. The floor was the same white marble, waxed so brightly that Briar could see her own reflection.

Snow was trickling down from the ceiling—yet it dissolved before it could pile on the floor. And around the ballroom, floor to ceiling windows frosted over.

"I am going to retrieve drinks," said Irina, hooking one arm into Idris's and another into Niko's. They disappeared into the crowd a moment later.

"We will be expected to greet the High Lord and Lady Vivane when they arrive," said Katya. "Until then…blend in."

Blend in. _Blend in?_ She was human! She was nothing more than a lamb tiptoeing through a lion's den.

Briar looked around at the Fae. She tried blinking, tried to see through the glamour, at the creatures that lurked beneath that false human appearance. But she saw nothing of the sort. No claws. No scales or feathers or oddly twisted limbs.

It was a relief as much as a frustration.

As Briar continued to examine the Fae, she caught sight of a familiar face.

Dressed in a gown that seemed to be made of starlight, was the High Lady of the Night Court. She _sparkled_ , even in a room of frost and stars and magnificence. Next to her, with a hand pressed to her lower back and wearing a magnificent black suit, was the High Lord of Night. He was as handsome as they could be, the kind of handsome that made you stare. Next to him was another handsome Fae—a winged warrior that also wore black, though this male looked less friendly. Or rather, looked like he did not want to be here.

It was the male that had saved her life, had flown carrying not only Briar, but another female as well. All while suffering from bloody wounds.

Azriel…that was his name. She remembered the High Lady saying it.

They were engaged in conversation with a white haired male that wore a brilliant gold and blue tunic.

As if sensing her staring, the High Lady—Feyre—looked Briar's way. She blinked once, twice. Realization dawned on her and Briar felt a wave of panic at being spotted. Even by someone who had helped her—had saved her.

Though Feyre did not open her mouth, it was as if she had told the High Lord of Night who she was looking at. For that moment the male glanced her way, followed by the winged warrior.

And then…they excused themselves and were moving toward her.

Briar did not have time to warn Katya when the three stopped short. The crowd seemed to follow their movements, whether out of fear or curiosity, it still drew attention. That meant _Briar_ had drawn their attention.

And yet…their gazes turned elsewhere. They found other conversations to attend, as if forgetting they stood there. Briar wondered if this were the High Lord's doing. It was rumored he could perform tricks of the mind.

The High Lord tilted his head at her curiously, his violet gaze assessing. Then his lips twitched into a slight grin as he turned to Katya. "Clever."

"Not my doing, High Lord," she said with a bow. It only occurred to Briar then that she, too, should bow.

But as she began to, Feyre cut her off with a wave of the hand. "Please don't."

Katya looked up in slight confusion. The High Lord added, "Our court is a little less traditional."

The winged warrior snorted. "An understatement."

"You are healed," Briar blurted out.

Azriel blinked. "Yes." His hazel gaze softened, as if remembering the last time he had seen Briar—dirty, bloody, in rags. Half dead.

"Thank you." Briar looked at both of them. "All of you. For what you did for me. For not leaving me."

"I'm sorry we did not get to you sooner," said Feyre sadly.

"I could repay you...?"

"You will do no such thing." Feyre waved her off. "How do you like the Winter Court?"

Briar wasn't sure how to answer. So she simply said, "Each day is a better one."

Feyre nodded, as if she understood exactly.

"We are here to see Lady Vivane," said Katya, her voice dropping. "To remove the glamour placed on her."

"I thought I detected a second glamour," mused the High Lord.

"It's startling at first, when you truly can see," said Feyre. "Don't be too alarmed. If you can't believe your eyes, then you know it's real."

Well, that was reassuring.

* * *

It was not until at least an hour had passed when the High Lord and his Lady finally arrived. They were seated upon a dais in a pair of marble thrones covered in white fur. There was a long queue of Fae to greet their Lord and Lady. Katya was deeply engaged in conversation with Niko—who looked far looser now that he had several glasses of wine in his system. As Briar did not want to ruin their moment, or jump in line while it was so long, she found herself drawn to the nearby buffet table laden with steaming meats and juicy fruit platters.

She was starving. But remembering Katya's advice, Briar opted for a slice of bread and some cheese.

She had just taken a bite of bread when she noticed the crowd parting. For a terrifying moment she feared they were parting for _her_ , because they scented her, but—

Briar studied the male moving toward her. Tall, broad and muscled, stiff and tense with a hand constantly twitching to his side. He bore no weapons, but it was clear he was in the habit of reaching for one. He wore a green tunic trimmed in gold. Fancy, yet far more simple than most of the males here. His golden hair hung slightly past his shoulders, part of it tied back.

Briar looked closer. He was a warrior. His posture and the way he moved made that clear. And with the birth the others were giving him, with the weary glances and some even glowering behind his back, with the circlet of golden leaves atop his head…

He stopped at the end of the table, reaching for a glass of wine.

"You're the High Lord of Spring," Briar blurted.

The male cut her a half glance. "Yes."

"The beast I saw— _you_ were the beast that helped us escape."

The High Lord tensed and finally looked at her. His eyes were like chips of emeralds, hard and unyielding. But then they shifted slightly—recognition. And something else.

"It's a glamour," she said lamely.

"I got that."

Of course. The High Lord's and Lady, it seemed, were powerful enough to see through Irina's glamour.

Briar swallowed. "You…you had been bleeding. Wounded."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he briefly scanned her from head to toe. Her sleeves covered her arms, yet it was as though he could see her scars through the fabric. "Healed now, as are you."

She was not sure why she did it, but she lifted her chin and said, "I survived."

"As we must." He sounded bitter, for some reason.

"Well, thank you. If there is anything I can offer to repay you…"

The High Lord barked a laugh and raised his glass. It sounded harsh and cold, so at odds with the warmth of his skin and his hair. "You'd be wise not to bargain with my kind, human."

"Briar," she said, surprisingly firm. "My name is Briar."

He paused with his goblet almost to his mouth. He looked at her, and blinked. As though she had somehow reprimanded him and he was not used to it. He lowered his hand.

"Briar," he said through gritted teeth.

"My mother's doing, I'm afraid. My sisters were named Rose and Lily. She had a passion for gardening."

His jaw locked and he threw back the goblet, downing the wine in one drink. "Enjoy the party, Briar."

Why did every word that came from his mouth sound so angry and bitter? She frowned at him, but he was already moving away, the crowd parting for him like he was a fire and they did not want to get burned.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading! I'd really like your feedback and appreciate you taking the time to read. :) Please feel free to share your theories on the upcoming ACOTAR spinoff books as well. I'm dying to discuss mine!


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